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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stem — to come from
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. snap — to click
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — the tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com